This invention relates to electric motors, and, in particular, to an improved manner of securing a ground wire to an end-shield of the motor. Although the invention is described with respect to electric motors, those skilled in the art will recognize the broader applicability of the invention described hereinafter.
Dynamoelectric machines have been grounded in applications since antiquity. Until recently, it has been common to provide a terminal consisting of a strap, clamping hood, and screw which are attached to the motor by a threaded fastener. The grounding wire is attached to the strap with another threaded fastener which generally includes a grounding wire to ground the machine's circuitry. The grounding assembly thus includes four separate parts--the strap, clamping head, and two screws. During shipping, either of the two screws can come loose due to jostling of the machine. If the screw which holds the strap to the end-shield comes loose, the terminal will separate from the end-shield. If the hood screw loosens, the hood can separate from the strap. This creates difficulty for the one who installs the machine into a product because he must find the loose parts and reattach them. It is then desirable to provide a grounding assembly which cannot easily be separated from an end-shield.